Old World & New World Wines

In the wine world, Old World designates the wine regions belonging to "old" Europe, the Mediterranean, and some Middle Eastern countries considered the places where wine originated. It includes France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Portugal, Austria, Greece, Turkey, Lebanon, Israel, Iran, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Jordan, Cyprus, Croatia, Georgia, Romania, Poland, Hungary and Switzerland. The New World includes all regions that introduced viticulture practices from Europe during the colonizing era: USA, Canada, New Zealand, Argentina, Chile, Australia, South Africa and, now, China.

Often this distinction is misunderstood. Sometimes, we hear a person say they prefer wines from Old World but not understanding the difference in styles.

What is the difference between Old World and Old World wines?

Philosophy
In the Old World, the magic word is terroir. The wine has to represent and integrate the characteristics of the soil, climate, topography, and traditional viticultural practices. The winemaker must be understood these elements to the wine express the originality, uniqueness, and character of the place from which it comes.

The New World does not focus so much on terroir. The winemaker aims to get the best expression from the grape. There are fewer rules and regulations to follow, which means more freedom. They are more experimental and technologically oriented. "The only reason to learn the rules is so you can break them later."

Wine Identification
Usually, in the Old World, wines are identified by the region name. Chablis wine from France, Brunello di Montalcino wine from Italy or Rioja wine from Spain are a few examples. If the label says Chablis, you should know it is a 100% Chardonnay wine from the Burgundy region. Brunello di Montalcino is a Sangiovese grape variety wine. Barolo is a Nebbiolo grape variety wine. A Rioja is usually a varietal wine of Tempranillo or a blend of indigenous Rioja grapes, with Tempranillo always playing the leading role.

New World favours simplicity and clarity, and the wines are designated on the label by the name of the grape variety.

Wine Profiles
If we want to generalize, we can assume that wines from the New World, whose regions are warmer, tend to be more fruity, more full-bodied and with higher alcohol content. In contrast, wines from the Old World tend to be lighter, less alcoholic, with higher acidity and more minerals. Of course, this generalization is somewhat rudimentary. We are describing the wines taking into account the binomial: hot climate/cold climate. Of course, this is far from being a rule. For example, the wines from the Upper Douro are full-bodied, fruity and with more alcohol content, or this sub-region of the Douro is one of the most extreme in terms of climate, very marked by dryness and hellish summers, but it is nevertheless an integral part of the Old World. Canada, for example, is part of the so-called New World, but its climate is far from being considered hot and does not fit the generic definition.

We conclude that describing the profile of these wines in a generalized way will lead to a debate, as almost everything is related to the world of wine.

Climate change and global warming are also changing paradigms. Currently, temperatures are warming up all over the world. In the Old World, there are regions affected by high temperatures. They are changing practices and leading to the search for new grape varieties. On the other hand, New World winemakers are adopting Old World winemaking styles and looking for higher altitude growing locations to produce wines with higher acidity.

Which one should I choose?
Why choose? Some people speak condescendingly of New World wines and prefer Old World romanticism, but of course, there are exceptional wines anywhere. With world globalization perhaps this distinction will blur in the future. But if it doesn't, you already know the significance. Just don't forgot trying any style and choose your favourites: Wines from the World.